What You Didn't Expect
by SillyRabbit03
Summary: !!FINISHED!! 05.06.03. When Lizzie announces she's not moving back home after college, she may lose one of the two most important people in her life. But what happens when the other person comes to mean more than she ever expected? L/G.
1. I'm Staying In Florida

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Gordo's going to be home for the weekend, you know."  
  
Twenty-two-year-old Lizzie McGuire looked at her best friend Miranda Sanchez, and her eyes lit up.  
  
"So it'll be us three, all over again! Just like the old days!" Lizzie said, and Miranda nodded.  
  
Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda had gone their separate ways after graduating high school. Gordo went off to film school in New York, an aspiring director. Miranda had gone to California State University on a music scholarship, and Lizzie...  
  
After a summer of fun, she'd cried through the entire flight to Florida, where she had gotten accepted to University of Florida. Today, however, she'd cried all the way home from Florida, trying to think of a way to break the news to Miranda that she wasn't moving back to California now that she'd graduated with a marketing degree. She'd been offered a job in Orlando that she just could not turn down.  
  
"I haven't talked to Gordo in ages... I mean, we email each other every once in a while, but I got so caught up in college life, and now that I've graduated, I've been thinking about how much I miss it back here." Lizzie motioned to the area they were driving through, the old neighborhood where they all lived as children.  
  
Lizzie's thoughts went back to their middle school and high school days, and how the three had always been inseparable, no matter what. Sure, there had been some little ups and downs here and there, but for the most part, they stuck together through thick and thin. Miranda had always been her best girl friend, her sister, and Gordo had always been... well... Gordo. She'd known him since they were in diapers, and it was really hard to pin a title on him.  
  
Miranda pulled into the driveway at the McGuire house and shut off the Jeep. "You know, Lizzie... it's been so depressing... the past four years have been so boring, so lonely, without you and Gordo here... I'm so glad you guys are coming home again."  
  
Lizzie felt her heart drop into her stomach when Miranda said that. "Yeah, um... Randa? About that... um... I'm not exactly... um..." How could she say it? "I'mNotMovingBackToCalifornia." There, it was out.  
  
Miranda's head shot up and she looked at her best friend. "What?! Lizzie, what are you talking about? You've always planned on coming home!"  
  
"I know, but... I was offered a job in Orlando, that I just can't turn down... it's too good of an offer."  
  
"But... but, Lizzie! Whatever happened to me, you, and Gordo growing up and getting old together, and being friends forever?"  
  
"Miranda... you know you'll always be my sister, my best friend, and just because I live in Florida, doesn't mean I don't love you just as much as always! Besides... I'll visit frequently," Lizzie said.  
  
Miranda was silent as she helped Lizzie carry her bags into the house. Sam and Jo McGuire were in the kitchen, and Lizzie cautiously poked her head around the corner. They weren't exactly expecting her. Well, that wasn't true. They knew she was coming home... just not two days earlier than scheduled.  
  
"Mom? Dad?" Jo was peeling potatoes, and Sam was cutting up some carrots to cook with dinner.  
  
"Lizzie!" They both dropped what they were doing and hurried over to welcome their daughter home.  
  
"Oh, it's so good to see you, honey!" Jo said, squeezing Lizzie until she thought she might die from lack of oxygen.  
  
"Mom... um... I kinda can't breathe," Lizzie managed to choke out.  
  
Jo let her go, and smiled. "You're early!"  
  
"Yeah... um... yeah. I decided to up my flight a couple days so I could get a little more time in with everyone here, before I have to go back to Florida..."  
  
"I thought..." Lizzie cut her mom off, shaking her head.  
  
"I got offered a job in Orlando... I'm sorry... but I'm staying in Florida."  
  
Her parents were upset and surprised, but took it much better than she had expected. Lizzie turned to ask Miranda if she'd like to hit the Digital Bean for a trip down memory lane, but Miranda wasn't there. Lizzie wandered over to the front window, and saw that the Jeep was no longer in the driveway. She let the curtain fall over the window again, and turned away, her heart suddenly very heavy. 


	2. Matt To The Rescue

Chapter 2: Matt To The Rescue  
  
"Hey sis, want to go to the Digital Bean with me and Lanny and Melina?" Lizzie looked toward her doorway and saw Matt, her younger brother. She gave him a half-hearted smile, but shook her head.  
  
"Thanks for the offer, Matt, but I'm not really up for it right now... maybe later?" she suggested.  
  
Matt walked into her room and shut the door behind him before sitting down beside Lizzie on the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
Lizzie and Matt had fought like cats and dogs when they were younger, but after Lizzie left for college, Matt had matured a lot, and not having his sister around had made him realize just how much he appreciated her.  
  
"Miranda's mad at me... I told her I wasn't moving back here, and she just took off earlier... never said a word," Lizzie said, her eyes welling up with tears.  
  
Matt put an arm around his sister's shoulder and hugged her. "She'll get over it, Liz... before you know it, she'll be calling you screaming in your ear that she's going on tour, and has four stops in Florida, and wants you to come to all of her shows while she's there," he said.  
  
Lizzie sniffled, but smiled despite the tears that had trickled down her face. When had Matt actually become... civilized? She looked at her little brother and then hugged him tightly. "I missed you, Worm," she said.  
  
"I missed you, too, Lizard Breath." Matt grinned at her.  
  
"So, you still pass on a trip to the Digital Bean?" he asked, standing up a couple minutes later.  
  
"Ah, what the heck. Count me in, I've missed all you runts," Lizzie said, attempting to ruffle Matt's hair. It wasn't exactly easy, since he'd grown like a weed while she was in college. He was at least two inches taller than she was now.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lizzie laughed as Matt and Melina chattered away in the car, and Lanny just looked at her as if to simply say, "Crazies."  
  
"Lanny said you guys are nuts," Lizzie spoke up. She caught herself after that one, and had to laugh again. When Matt and Lanny were young, Matt always spoke for Lanny, and now that Lizzie thought about it... she couldn't recall ever hearing any sound from Lanny, in her entire life. Sam, Jo, and Lizzie had always looked at Matt like he was crazy, when he would hold what appeared to be conversations, with his silent friend. Lanny's non- speaking persona had grown on them all over the years.  
  
"We're here!" Matt exclaimed, cutting off the engine of his Mustang. Lizzie was still in awe of his car, she'd never thought that she'd come home to find her baby brother driving a Mustang, when she had a little Nissan Sentra sitting in the driveway back home. Home? She wasn't really sure if she should call it home or not.  
  
Everyone got out of Matt's Mustang and headed into the Digital Bean. Lizzie looked around. It looked pretty much the same as it did when she hung out there with Miranda and Gordo as practically a daily ritual. She followed her brother and his friends up to the counter, and looked at the menu for a minute, before laughing to herself. She still knew it by heart.  
  
"What can I get for you, miss?" She looked at the cashier and her eyes lit up in recognition.  
  
"ETHAN?!"  
  
"Hey! Lizzie McGuire?"  
  
Lizzie grinned. "You know it! My God, how have you been?" she asked.  
  
"Ah, pretty good I guess... still living with mom and dad, going to the community college here... next year is my last year, so hopefully I can actually get out of my parents' place," he said.  
  
'He was never the brightest crayon in the box. But he was always nice!' Lizzie thought, then kicked herself mentally. That was a little rude!  
  
"Well congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks... what about you, Liz? Didn't you take off to New York with Gor- don?" Ugh, why did everyone always think Lizzie and Gordo belonged together? 'I miss Gordo!' she thought.  
  
"No... I went to University of Florida... I live in Orlando now."  
  
"Oh, you back home visiting?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Listen, I don't want to hold up your line here... can I just get a strawberry banana smoothie?" She handed Ethan some money and he gave her the change and her smoothie. As Lizzie turned around to see where Matt, Lanny, and Melina were sitting, her eyes landed on someone else.  
  
Or rather, the back of someone else's head. It was him! Lizzie would know that unruly hair anywhere. But who else was at the table? She tried to get a glimpse as she walked slowly over to Matt's table, and pretended to be looking at something outside the window as she walked, until she bumped into someone.  
  
"Oh, excuse me, so sorry!" she said hurriedly, looking at the person.  
  
Miranda just scowled at her. "Yeah."  
  
Lizzie sighed and glanced over again to see who he was talking to. Curiosity got the best of her, so she took her smoothie to Matt's table, left it with him, and turned around to walk over there. As she got closer to the table, she was that he was talking to none other than Larry Tudgeman. Jeez, did all of their old friends still hang out here?  
  
Larry looked up at her and before he could say anything, Lizzie put her finger to her lips in a motion for silence, and Larry looked quickly away.  
  
"Guess who?" Lizzie went up behind Gordo and covered his eyes with her hands.  
  
"Oh my God... it could only be..." Gordo reached up and grabbed her hands away from his face, then turned around. His eyes lit up.  
  
"Lizzie!" He hugged her tightly, then kissed her cheek.  
  
"It's so good to see you! Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?" Lizzie asked him, as she sat down in the booth across from Larry, and motioned for Gordo to sit down too.  
  
"Oh, geez... Larry, I'm sorry! I got so excited about seeing Gordo, I didn't even say hello to you..." Lizzie frowned, but then smiled at him. "Anyway, it's good seeing you too!"  
  
"Same here. You look very nice!" Larry complimented her, and she blushed.  
  
"Um... well actually... I hate to cut this short, but I came up here with Matt and his friends, and I kind of abandoned them... so now I feel bad... but listen, Gordo... give me a call later on tonight, okay? We've got some catching up to do! And Tudgeman... it was good seeing you again!" Lizzie got up and hurried back over to the table where her brother was sitting.  
  
"Liz... you didn't have to come sit with us if you didn't want to... why don't you go hang with Gordo and... um... Tudgeman? Is that Tudgeman over there?" Matt squinted. He wasn't wearing his contacts.  
  
"Yeah," Lizzie replied.  
  
"I know you don't really want to hang out with us, Liz... go sit with them," Matt told her.  
  
"You sure you don't mind? I felt bad about abandoning you guys," Lizzie said, picking up her smoothie and sipping a bit.  
  
"Go!" Matt said, laughing as her eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Okay, okay. You know... If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to pawn me off on them," Lizzie joked. She hugged her brother quickly, then hurried back over to the table where Gordo and Larry were sitting. 


	3. All Grown Up

Chapter 3  
  
"So anyway... Gordo... what have you been up to since we last got together?"  
  
Larry had left almost an hour before, and Lizzie only noticed right about then. Gordo had asked her to fill him in on everything that had happened in her life since the last time they talked... and she'd gotten a little carried away.  
  
"Nothing much."  
  
Lizzie couldn't believe that after all she'd just told him, all he'd say was, 'nothing much.'  
  
"Gordo! You're so full of it. Come on... what's been going on in your life? How's school been? How's New York? How's your love life? Something!"  
  
"Umm... school's just school... New York's kind of exciting... my love life doesn't exist. Any other questions?" Lizzie gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Gordo... are you always going to be this cynical?"  
  
"Maybe. Then again, I might hit my head, get amnesia, and turn into some kind of Prince Charming," Gordo joked.  
  
"I dunno, Gordo... you're pretty big for a frog... it might be difficult," Lizzie teased him.  
  
Lizzie and Gordo left the Digital Bean a little while later and headed out to Gordo's Ford Explorer. "You drove here from New York?" she asked.  
  
"Yep... I just bought this thing, and didn't want to leave it at home for two weeks," Gordo replied.  
  
"Are you moving back here?" she asked. Gordo shook his head.  
  
"Not just yet... I'm staying up in New York for a while," he said.  
  
"Okay, I don't feel so bad now... but Miranda's big time mad at me because I told her I'm staying in Florida," Lizzie said. Gordo's eyes widened.  
  
"You're not coming home? Wow... I always thought you'd move right back as soon as you graduated from college," he said.  
  
"Nope... they offered me an awesome job in Orlando, so when I go back to Gainesville after this, I'm packing everything up and moving from my little apartment there, to another one in Orlando."  
  
Gordo was quiet for a while before he spoke up again. "Man... we're all grown up now, Liz... we've all gone our separate ways, did our time in college... and instead of coming back home and being best friends forever, like we always said... we're going to be in opposite corners of the country."  
  
"Miranda said the same thing, basically... only, she got mad, and now she's not talking to me."  
  
"Jeez... she's taking it that hard?"  
  
"Apparently so. People grow up, Gordo... friends forever, that phrase holds so much meaning... but I don't think she believes it. She seems to think that because I'm living in Florida, that I don't care about her anymore. You don't think that, too, do you? 'Cause you know that's not true, Gordo..."  
  
"Liz, relax... don't freak out. Miranda's probably just a little hurt. The two of you were always kind of naive, and I guess maybe she just hasn't totally outgrown it."  
  
"No one ever outgrows it totally, Gordo... I guess it's just growing up that makes you realize that life isn't as easy as it was as a kid." Gordo pulled up in the McGuire's driveway.  
  
"Come on in, Gordo... come say hey to mom and dad and Matt," Lizzie said, hopping out of the truck. Gordo followed her into the house and talked to her parents for a while before announcing that he needed to get back to his parents place before they sent out a search warrant on him. Lizzie followed him out to his truck.  
  
"I'm so glad you're here, Gordo... I don't think I could handle Miranda being angry with me, without you around... thanks for always being there," she said, leaning on the open window of the Explorer.  
  
"What are best friends for? You know I'll be there until the day they put me six feet under," Gordo said. Lizzie smiled, then leaned in and kissed his cheek.  
  
"Thanks, Gordo. Give me a call later?" He nodded in response, then started up the truck and pulled out of her driveway, waving as he drove off. Lizzie smiled to herself. She'd really missed Gordo, but it wasn't until she saw him today, that she'd realized just how much. 


	4. A Box From Miranda

DISCLAIMER: I don't own LM. trust me!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Before Lizzie knew it, it was time to head back to Florida, pack everything up, and move yet again. She felt a tear run down her face as she packed up pictures of her and Miranda, and thought about Miranda. When Lizzie had left California, Miranda met her in the airport and handed her a box, then walked off without a word.  
  
When Lizzie got home, the first thing she did was open that box, and break down into tears. Inside the box, was all the pictures Miranda had of the two of them, along with various little things, like her half of the "Best Friends" necklace that the two had worn in their elementary school days, and the friendship bracelet Lizzie had given Miranda at the end of 7th grade. Lizzie hadn't realized the full effect of Miranda's anger and hurt, until she got home and opened that box.  
  
A little while later, she called Gordo's cell phone number, but got his voicemail.  
  
"Hey, Gordo, it's me... I wanted to talk to you, it's about Miranda... give me a call when you can, okay? Thanks... bye..." She turned off the phone dejectedly and tossed it onto the couch. It rang and she dove for it, but the caller ID told her it was a salesperson. "UGH!" she flopped down on the couch and started to cry again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Lizzie, it's me! Where are you? I know you're home... come on, pick up the phone!" Lizzie opened her eyes, she'd fallen asleep on the couch. Gordo's voice met her ears, and she grabbed the phone off the coffee table.  
  
"Gordo?"  
  
"There you are. Don't you Floridians answer your phones?" he teased.  
  
"Yeah... I was asleep on the couch, sorry. I guess I was kind of exhausted earlier, I just zonked out."  
  
"Well... what's wrong? Why do I have a message on my voicemail from one very depressed-sounding Elizabeth McGuire?"  
  
"Gordo... you know what was in that box Miranda gave me at the airport?"  
  
"A picture of you guys together, smiling and happy, and an apology note?" Gordo's voice was hopeful, and Lizzie couldn't help but smile a little.  
  
"Not hardly... inside that box was every picture she had of us, and all the little remnants of our friendship... her half of the best friend necklaces we wore... the friendship bracelet I gave her in 7th grade... Gordo, she hates me!" Lizzie broke down into tears again.  
  
"Calm down, Lizzie... it's gonna be okay... she doesn't hate you, she's just upset that you're not coming home."  
  
"Maybe I should."  
  
"Liz... you do what YOU want to do. Don't live your life according to what other people want. Miranda's your best friend, but she's being childish. She'll get over it," Gordo said. He sighed when he heard Lizzie start up again, and tuned her out. Sometimes that was the only way to deal with her when she got upset. 


	5. JR & Gordo

DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing! None! Nada! Zip! Zilch! This is nothing more than a product of my way too overactive imagination.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Gordo woke up from a short, unintentional nap later that afternoon, and found it to be almost 6 o'clock. He fixed himself a frozen pizza for dinner, then set up his laptop to log online. First he signed on AOL, then signed onto AIM. He had a different name on AIM, that none of his friends or family knew about, because Miranda and Lizzie had always liked to get on his screen names and talk to the people on his buddy list, and it had embarrassed him greatly sometimes.  
  
Almost immediately, an instant message popped up from Lizzie.  
  
LizzieMac06: Hey Gordo! DG Man2000: Whats up Lizzie? LizzieMac06: Nothin much... I'm done whining about Miranda tho... ugh its just... nevermind I know you're sick of hearing me talk about it (lol). DG Man2000: Just stop worrying. Okay? LizzieMac06: Alright... so, when are you going to come visit me in beautiful sunny Florida? DG Man2000: Name a time, I'll be there. I want to see this new place of yours. LizzieMac06: You wanna come visit in a couple weeks or so? DG Man2000: Wait a minute... I can't, not for at least another few months... I'm starting a new job, I forgot to tell you... I don't want to ask for a bunch of time off right away. LizzieMac06: Oh... okay.  
  
Lizzie sighed and signed onto AIM, on a name that she had never told Miranda or Gordo about because, well... it contained a childhood nickname that she didn't particularly want them teasing her about. She wondered how they didn't know it anyway, but shrugged and typed in her password.  
  
As soon as she logged on there, an instant message from one of her internet buddies popped up.  
  
JRSplbrg: Hey there, princess!  
  
Ah, it was him! She had been talking to him a lot over the past few months, and they had become good friends over the internet. He had invited her recently to come visit him up in New York, and she liked him an awful lot, so she had planned to go up there for a week before she started her new job. She would be starting in the fall of that year, and it was barely spring, so she had plenty of time.  
  
PrincessLizard: Hey, JR. What's up? JRSplbrg: Nothing really... waiting for you to sign on. PrincessLizard: Aww, I feel special. JRSplbrg: And you are. PrincessLizard: So are you. So, you still want me to come visit you? JRSplbrg: Of course!  
  
Lizzie remembered the other IM from Gordo, and clicked back to it for a minute.  
  
DG Man2000: Lizzie, you alive? LizzieMac06: Oops... yeah, I'm here. Sorry, I had a message from someone else. DG Man2000: Gee, I don't love you either! lol Just kiddin! LizzieMac06: Oh, you know you do! :) Listen, Gordo... hang on a minute, okay? I gotta run and do something real quick, I'll be back in a few.  
  
She clicked back to JR's instant message.  
  
PrincessLizard: Well when's a good time? I've got time to take a trip up there sometime soon JRSplbrg: Whenever you want. Tomorrow's good! lol PrincessLizard: I could leave tomorrow, and be there in about 3 days... I've got a friend who lives up there, and I've learned by now that it's a 3 day drive. JRSplbrg: You could fly, you know. I'll pay for a plane ticket for you to come up here for a few days. You'd be able to stay and see the city more, and maybe visit your other friend, too. PrincessLizard: Oh, no... I couldn't do that. JRSplbrg: Come on... please? PrincessLizard: I'll pay for the plane ticket. JRSplbrg: Are you sure? PrincessLizard: Yep. When would you like me to come up? JRSplbrg: As soon as you can. Are there any flights leaving tonight? I've got this luncheon thing for my work tomorrow, and you could be my date! PrincessLizard: Alright... let me look up tickets, okay? BRB  
  
Lizzie typed in a website so she could order a plane ticket, excited about this trip. It was definitely a spur of the moment thing, but she could meet JR finally, and probably go pay Gordo a surprise visit, too!  
  
She found a reasonably priced ticket, that was on a flight that left in three hours... that would leave her two hours to get ready and get out the door. That would work. She ordered it right away, then ran to get in the shower and get ready to go. 


	6. Gordo!

DISCLAIMER: The norm. I don't own 'em. so no suing me! :)~  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Lizzie had given all of her flight information to JR, and had sent Gordo an IM telling him she had to go, she was going out to dinner. Okay, so that wasn't exactly the truth, but he'd never know. Now she was in a cab on the way to the airport, with a weeks worth of clothes hastily packed. She wondered what she forgot, and knew that she wouldn't remember until she got to New York and was without whatever she needed.  
  
At the airport, Lizzie picked up her ticket and found the gate where she would board the plane. Within five minutes, they announced that passengers could board. Lizzie found her seat and put on some headphones, turned on some music, and tried to go to sleep.  
  
It wasn't until she got settled in her seat, that she realized she'd left her computer logged online at the house. 'Crap!' she thought. Oh well, hopefully it would shut itself off. Then she thought about what JR was going to think. She told him from the get-go that her name was Brooke. It wasn't a lie; Brooke was her middle name. She didn't want to appear childish when he asked her name. Oh, well. He'd get over it.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Gordo paced the floor in his apartment. He had hoped to ask Lizzie for advice about Brooke, the internet girl who was coming to visit him, but Lizzie had told him she was going out to dinner and had to go. She had put up an away message before he had a chance to say anything.  
  
Brooke would be there in an hour, which meant Gordo needed to get his act together and get to the airport quickly. He crossed the room one more time before turning on his heel and running into his bedroom.  
  
Gordo attempted to comb his mass of unruly hair, but only succeeded in making it fluff out even more, so he pulled a baseball cap over his head and quickly put his shoes on and raced out the door after copying down her flight information from the instant message she'd sent him hours before.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lizzie looked at her watch. 'The flight should be landing soon,' she thought. As if on cue, the pilot's voice came over the speakers.  
  
"We will be landing soon, so please make sure your trays are put up and away, and make sure all seatbelts are fastened."  
  
A couple minutes later, she felt the plane touch down on the ground. Lizzie's heart was racing, she knew in a few minutes, she was going to meet a total stranger. What would he be like? Then she started to panic. Would he be a psycho? Was he some weird person? What had she gotten herself into?  
  
* * * * *  
  
Gordo found the gate where Brooke's plane would be dropping off it's passengers, and he seated himself to wait for her. The plane had just pulled up, but no one had gotten off it yet. He looked around at all the people rushing everywhere, and smiled. New York was so busy and exciting.  
  
"Flight 347 from Orlando International, Orlando Florida, now unloading at Gate 17G." That was her flight. Gordo saw some people getting off the plane, and watched for what Brooke had said she'd be wearing -- jeans, and a yellow t-shirt. She told him she had blonde hair. Gordo scanned the group of people for blonde hair and a yellow t-shirt.  
  
He was about to give up hope, and thought she had fooled him, when the second to last person off the plane stepped out. He could clearly see the yellow shirt and blonde hair, and smiled to himself. She hadn't fooled him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lizzie stepped off the plane and followed all the other people up to where everyone was waiting for them. She scanned the crowd of people for JR. She knew he had brown hair, and he said he'd be wearing a blue t-shirt... she saw a group of three guys, two wearing blue t-shirts, and both of them had brown hair. She decided to approach them.  
  
"Excuse me... are either of you JR?" They both shook their heads, and Lizzie turned around. She scanned the crowd, and caught a quick glimpse of a blue shirt, so she decided to approach him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Gordo couldn't see her, now. There were too many people in the crowded little area. He decided to stand off to the side and wait for some of them to leave. Then maybe he'd be able to find her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lizzie sat down to wait for the crowd of people to thin out, since she'd lost the guy in the blue shirt. She fished through her purse and dug out her lip gloss and blush to touch up her makeup before meeting RJ. When she was done, there weren't so many people, so she stood and looked around again. There was a guy standing by a wall a little ways away in a blue shirt... He looked very familiar, and he was walking toward her. No, it couldn't be... Lizzie blinked in disbelief. There was no way...  
  
"GORDO?!" 


	7. Lizzie!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own them! Got it?  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"LIZZIE?!"  
  
"Oh, my God... are you... no way." Lizzie crossed her arms, she wasn't going to say anything dumb.  
  
"You're Brooke, aren't you?" A look crossed Gordo's face as it dawned on him. Elizabeth Brooke McGuire. Princess Lizard. Lizzie.  
  
"And you're JR?" Lizzie was confused. How did he get JR out of David Gordon?  
  
"Um... not exactly."  
  
"Oh, is JR one of your friends?" Lizzie felt relieved.  
  
"Not exactly." Uh-oh. Crap.  
  
"Who is JR?" Lizzie wanted to know.  
  
"JR stands for Junior... the name, means Junior Speilberg... y'know, like Steven Speilberg?"  
  
"Oh, my GOD! I feel like such a cheeseball, Gordo! I can't believe I didn't put all this together!"  
  
"You're not the only one. I can't believe I didn't think about PrincessLizard from Orlando, being you... and I mean, why didn't I pick up on the whole Brooke thing? Your middle name... duh, Gordo!" Gordo slapped himself in the forehead. Lizzie laughed.  
  
"Well... I guess there's no worrying about how to surprise you with a visit, huh? I was expecting to come up here and visit with JR, and stop by to surprise you... but... well, are you surprised?" They both laughed.  
  
"Just a bit!" Gordo offered his arm, and Lizzie linked hers through it.  
  
"So... I guess I get to see your new apartment before you see mine, eh?" Lizzie grabbed her bag off the luggage thing and Gordo took it from her.  
  
"I'll carry it. And yes, I guess you do!"  
  
Lizzie was anything but quiet on the drive to Gordo's apartment. She chattered about how fun it would be while she was there, how she felt like "such a dork" for not realizing that JRSplbrg was Gordo... anything and everything. Gordo was relieved, however, that she didn't say anything about Miranda.  
  
"Hey Liz... did I tell you the big news?" Gordo piped up, when Lizzie had finally quieted down.  
  
"Um... no? I don't know. Did you?"  
  
"The news that I'm moving back to California?"  
  
"You're kidding..." Lizzie's eyes widened. Now she felt guilty again, and thought of Miranda.  
  
"Nope. I was offered a contract at a production company outside of LA... remember the day you called, and I wasn't home, and my parents told you that I was over at Miranda's?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"I was out looking at apartments."  
  
"Gordo! Why didn't you tell me this before? And what about the other job you're supposed to be starting up here?" Lizzie was confused now.  
  
"It's not here... this is the job I was telling you about," Gordo replied, clicking on his left turn signal and turning into the apartment complex. He parked the Explorer in front of his apartment and got out, then led Lizzie up to the apartment. When he opened the door, he tossed his keys down on a table near the door and ushered her inside.  
  
"Welcome to my humble abode," he said, in a fake, over-dramatic voice. Lizzie looked around her.  
  
"Wow... this is pretty nice! And... whoa... it's clean! It's like you were expecting a... girl!"  
  
Gordo blushed. "Well... be it you or Brooke... um... duh?"  
  
Lizzie smiled. "Hush, Gordo. Can't you go five minutes without being sarcastic?"  
  
"No," he replied in a smart-aleck tone, then grinned. Lizzie just shook her head.  
  
Gordo went into the kitchen to get them something to drink, and when he came back into the living room, Lizzie wasn't there.  
  
"Liz?" He peered down the hallway, but didn't see her.  
  
"I'm in here." She stuck her head out of the small extra bedroom that he'd turned into an office. Gordo walked in and handed her a glass, then sat down at the computer.  
  
"Did I tell you what Brooke-" Gordo started, then laughed at himself. "Nevermind!"  
  
Lizzie giggled and hugged him. "Gordo... you're a goof." 


	8. Good Shot, Gordo

DISCLAIMER: Once again. I don't own them.  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"Liz... um... why are you still online?" Gordo questioned, when he logged onto AOL later that evening.  
  
"Crap! I knew I forgot to shut the computer down... ugh... if anyone tries to call my apartment they're going to get a busy signal the entire week now," Lizzie moaned.  
  
"You can call the operator and have them disconnect it..." Gordo said.  
  
"I can? Oh... well, do you have two phone lines? Can I use the phone to do that?"  
  
"Yeah, here use this one." Gordo handed her a cordless phone, then watched as she turned and walked out into the hall. She was so beautiful... He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head, but his mind continued to wander.  
  
'I thought I was falling for Brooke and getting over Lizzie... that's why I wanted Brooke to come here so badly... and all along, I was only falling even harder for Lizzie...' he thought. "Good shot, Gordo," he mumbled.  
  
"What was that? Were you talking to me, or yourself?" Lizzie came back into the room. "They disconnected it for me."  
  
"I was talking to myself."  
  
"You must be a lonely person!" Lizzie joked. 'You have no idea,' Gordo thought. He reprimanded his thoughts and bit his tongue, though.  
  
"Yeah, well, you try living alone in New York, going to school to be a director... NO one is interested in you. I could strike up a conversation with someone, and five seconds later a celebrity walks by, and they're like, 'Oh, that's so-and-so! I'll catch you later!' and they run off," Gordo said.  
  
"Aww... if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't do that to you. Well... unless it was Matt Damon who walked by... ooh!" Lizzie gave a little shiver, then smiled. "I'm kidding, Gordo. I would never abandon you," she said, when he looked at her pathetically.  
  
"Thanks, Liz. You always were the one person who stuck with me," he said, smiling gratefully at her. Lizzie hugged him again, then sat down on the desktop.  
  
"So Gordo... this is New York... I KNOW there's more to do than hang around your apartment all day!"  
  
"Well, there's always-"  
  
"Shopping! I've heard the shopping here is tremendous!" Lizzie exclaimed. Gordo sighed. Some things just never changed. Lizzie's clothes-a-holic personality was one of those things. 


	9. One Gordo Is Enough

DISCLAIMER: As usual. I don't own LM. I promise.  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 9: One Gordo Is Enough  
  
Gordo went with Lizzie to a bunch of stores throughout NYC the next day, and it wasn't until they returned to his apartment in the late afternoon that he realized the true meaning of the words "shop till you drop." He was definitely ready to drop.  
  
"How much money did you spend today, McGuire?" Gordo asked. He'd really hate to see her credit card statement.  
  
"Um... around $600 I think. Those shoes were an awesome deal!" Lizzie exclaimed, coming into the living room with a new pair of sunglasses on her face. "What do you think?"  
  
She looked so glamorous, yet so down to earth, so innocent, so... beautiful. Her hair fell in loose waves around her face, and to Gordo it looked like gold. She was almost like an enigma, except she was right there, with him.  
  
Boy, he was gonna get himself in deep if he didn't stop thinking like that.  
  
"You look like a movie star... Lizzie McGuire, star of a slew of movies including David Gordon's latest venture, 'Beautiful', is here with us today. Tell us, Miss McGuire, what's it like to be the most sought-after actress in the business?" Gordo pretended to hold a microphone up to her. Lizzie giggled.  
  
"Well, it's exciting! And the best part of it all, is that the director here, is the most awesome guy in the world, and I got to work with him on this awesome movie!" She gave her best award-winning smile to the imaginary audience, then turned to Gordo and cracked up.  
  
"We are such dorks!" she exclaimed. Gordo was laughing so hard he could only attempt to nod his head in agreement.  
  
"Gordo... do you ever wonder what life would be like, if we had all just stayed back in California? What would we all be doing now?"  
  
Gordo shrugged. "Never really thought about it." 'Liar,' the voice in his head said. Gordo sighed inwardly. There was no doubt about it. He loved her. Totally and completely.  
  
"Why not? What if we had never broken our little trio up? What if we had all stayed in California, and never gone away to college? What would have happened?"  
  
"Who knows?"  
  
Lizzie smiled. "I bet you and Miranda would have dated for a while, but then you guys would have broken up because Ethan Craft asked her out, and you would have started chasing Kate Sanders around, and I'd be... I'd still just be Lizzie, clueless as can be."  
  
"Kate Sanders?!" Gordo looked at her in disbelief, and Lizzie laughed.  
  
"Just kidding, Gordo. I bet me and you would have gotten together... and we'd probably be engaged or married, and then we'd have little Gordo's all over the place... oh jeez, that would be scary!" she joked. Gordo didn't know what to think of that one, so he put on a fake hurt face.  
  
"What are you trying to say, McGuire? My kids are gonna look scary?"  
  
"No, no, no! But Gordo... one of you is enough."  
  
"Liz?" Gordo's expression turned serious. Lizzie stopped laughing.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you ever think about me and you?"  
  
"Like, you mean... together?" Gordo swallowed hard when she said that, trying to gather his courage.  
  
"Yeah... together. Do you?"  
  
"Uh... well... yeah, sometimes," she admitted. Okay, so once in a while Lizzie tended to daydream about what an amazing boyfriend Gordo would make. Once in a while. At least three times a day.  
  
"You do?" Gordo was surprised.  
  
"Yeah... why?"  
  
"No reason..." Gordo trailed off. Lizzie looked up at him and gave him that, 'You'd-BETTER-spill-the-beans-or-you're-in-trouble" look.  
  
"Well, I mean... because I do to sometimes..." he started to tell her, but began to chicken out at the same time.  
  
"Gordo..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You know what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"This is what." Lizzie stepped closer to him and kissed him ever-so- lightly. Gordo was taken aback, and it took him a second to realize what was going on. Lizzie pulled away.  
  
"I'm sorry, Gordo... shoot... I'm sorry!" Before Gordo could think of what to say to her, she turned and ran from the room, and he heard the door to his apartment slam as she ran out. He turned around and looked out the window. She was standing outside on the sidewalk, hugging herself. Finally getting over the shock she'd just caused him, he hurried outside.  
  
"Lizzie... why did you run away?" His voice was so quiet, she barely heard him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Gordo... I couldn't help it... it's just... you know... confusing."  
  
"What's confusing?"  
  
"This! What's going on between us... Gordo, I kissed you... I feel like such a jackass now," Lizzie mumbled, looking at the ground.  
  
"Why?" Gordo tilted her chin so she'd look at him again.  
  
"Because..." Lizzie trailed off, looking towards the ground again.  
  
"Because you're afraid? You don't think it's possible that I feel it too?"  
  
Lizzie's head snapped up when he said that. "You do?"  
  
He leaned in and kissed her, then pulled away. "Only every day since fifth grade," he said.  
  
"Gordo!!" She suddenly stepped back, then hit his shoulder lightly.  
  
"What? What did I do now?" Gordo was confused.  
  
"Why didn't you TELL me? Ugh, Gordo! That's like TEN YEARS of hiding this big secret!"  
  
"It's not like you said anything to me, either, Liz."  
  
"Ugh... you know... if you were anyone else, I would just... smack you." Lizzie looked flustered, and Gordo grinned. "But I'm not. I'm Gordo!"  
  
"Sometimes that scares me." Lizzie tossed him a smile before hurrying back up the sidewalk and going back into the apartment. Gordo just stared after her, then shook his head and followed suit. 


	10. Talking To Miranda

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lizzie McGuire. If I did, Gordo and Lizzie would have been together many many moons ago.  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 10: Talking To Miranda  
  
Lizzie was checking her email from Gordo's laptop a couple days later, and found something from Matt with "Miranda" as the subject. She clicked on it quickly, hoping that it was not bad news.  
  
Lizard Breath - Miranda called here the other day looking for you. I guess you failed to tell her you went back to Florida? She thought you were still here, and wanted to talk to you. I told her you went back to FL, but she called back again the next day saying that she'd been trying to call all day and your phone was busy. where are you, anyway? I've tried calling you a zillion times and you don't answer. Damn it, Lizzie. are you avoiding us again?! Lol. Just kidding! Love ya sis!  
  
-- Worm  
  
Lizzie laughed as she called Gordo to the den. "Gordo, come here! Guess what?"  
  
"You won a million dollars by clicking some stupid link on a website?" Gordo guessed.  
  
Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Not hardly. Matt emailed me and said Miranda tried to call me at my parents' house the other day. she wants to talk to me, Gordo!"  
  
"Well, that's good. See, I told you she doesn't hate you. She's probably calling to tell you she's going on tour and she'll be here for a while and wants you to come to her show." Lizzie looked at him oddly. Hadn't Matt said pretty much the same thing when Miranda had first gotten angry with Lizzie?  
  
"I have her phone number. Would you like to give her a call now?" Gordo asked.  
  
Lizzie sat back in the chair she was using, and a thoughtful look crossed her face. Gordo loved it when she got that vague little smile on her face. 'Then again,' he thought, 'I love every expression on her face.'  
  
"If you don't mind, then yeah. and Gordo, I know her number. is it okay?" Lizzie asked after thinking about it. Gordo handed her the phone and watched as she hurriedly dialed the ten digits, then put the phone up to her ear to wait for Miranda's voice.  
  
"Miranda? Hey, it's me."  
  
A/N: What's Miranda going to say to Lizzie? And what's going to happen between Gordo and Lizzie? Hmm. let me know what you think, please R&R! Any comments are appreciated! I will try to update this more or less every day or every other day. this is the first fic I've posted on here, but I've written well over 60 fics since I started, and normally they are finished within a couple weeks. Watch for updates! 


	11. Talking, Laughing, and Baking

DISCLAIMER: Lizzie, Gordo, Miranda, Matt, Jo, Sam, and anyone ELSE in this story do not belong to me, unless of course they are characters that I myself made up. In other words, only the characters you DON'T recognize are mine. (Unless you're not a Lizzie fan and don't watch the show. but then why would you be reading Lizzie McGuire fanfiction?!)  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 11: Talking, Laughing, and Baking  
  
"Gordo?"  
  
"Uh. no. it's Lizzie. McGuire. You know, the one you grew up with?" Lizzie stifled a giggle as she said it.  
  
"Lizzie! My caller ID said it was Gordo. wait a minute. Are you in New York?!" Miranda's response sounded a bit incredulous. Lizzie smiled.  
  
"Yeah. Long story, I'll explain later. Matt emailed me and said you were trying to get ahold of me at my parents' place after I left?" Lizzie knew she sounded hopeful, and prayed that Miranda didn't think her desperate.  
  
"Yeah. listen, Lizzie. I'm sorry for the way I acted. We're adults now, and I should have realized a long time ago that sometimes even best friends go their own way and do their own thing. I had just held on to a prayer that you, Gordo, and I would grow up, start our own families, and raise our kids together here. I never expected that we'd all be separated right after college. I freaked, Liz, I-"  
  
"Miranda! Chill!" Lizzie smiled, glad to have the old Miranda back. "Just because we're living on opposite ends of the country, doesn't mean we're separated. We're together in our hearts, and that's what matters the most. And Miranda. do you really think we'll just stop talking? Come on! You know me better than that, and I know you better than that. Gordo, I don't know about. as much as you and I chatter, he's never been much of a talker."  
  
Lizzie and Miranda both laughed at that. All throughout their childhood, conversations between the three had always consisted of Lizzie and Miranda talking a mile a minute and Gordo listening to every bit, then making a pathetic attempt to put his two cents in. He was usually cut off by the girls starting up more friendly banter.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. we never did let Gordo do much talking, did we?" Miranda giggled.  
  
"Liz. are you talking to Miranda? Are you guys still fighting?" Gordo appeared in the doorway, wearing an apron that said "Kiss The Cook", and holding a spatula in one hand and a cake mixer in the other. Lizzie's eyes widened.  
  
"I hope you're not trying to bake, Gordo. do you remember what happened at mom's house?! If you're making something. don't just yank the mixer out of the batter while it's still going!!" Lizzie warned. She could hear Miranda cracking up on the other end of the line.  
  
"Want me to let you go, Liz? Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you." Miranda said.  
  
"Um. yeah. Sorry, Miranda. and I'm sorry for springing the news on you so quickly. You know I love you, you're my sister!"  
  
"I know. and you know I love you, too, Lizzie. Listen, I'll give you a call later, okay? How long are you going to be at Gordo's place? You are at Gordo's, right? Man, I need details!"  
  
Lizzie laughed. Some things just never changed. "Yeah, I'm at Gordo's. I'll be here for about a week," she said.  
  
"Oh, okay. I'll give you a call later on tonight, or sometime tomorrow, okay? See ya later, Liz!"  
  
"Bye, Miranda!" Lizzie clicked the phone off, and hurried out to the kitchen just in time to see Gordo turn on the mixer and stick it into the cake mix. She sighed and went over to help him before he made a complete mess. 


	12. Gordo, Master of Cookie Baking Disaster

DISCLAIMER: By now you should all know that I own nothing. Well. except for the fifty cents and candy wrapper in my pocket.  
  
By the way. sorry I haven't updated in ages! I know I promised a while back that I'd update like every other day. but my computer was being mean to me and wouldn't let me upload. Thanks for being patient, and thanks to those of you who reviewed! I'm glad you're liking the story so far!  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 12: Gordo, Master of Cookie Baking Disaster  
  
"Liz! Miranda's on the phone!" Gordo called, putting the phone back up to his ear. "Hang on, Miranda. she's right here."  
  
He handed Lizzie the phone and went back to scooping cookies off the tray he'd just pulled from the oven. He'd forgotten how much he missed their childhood escapades, and baking cookies had always been fun.  
  
"Hey, Miranda!" Lizzie went out to the living room to talk to her, but Gordo kept an ear on their conversation. 'I'm not eavesdropping. okay, so maybe I am,' he thought.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you about it earlier. yes, Miranda. okay, so I was talking to this guy online." Gordo smiled to himself and turned his attention back to the cookies. He heard his name again a few seconds later, and strained to hear what she was saying now.  
  
"Yeah, we're having a blast. we made cookies earlier. Mmm-hmm. he sure did!"  
  
'I sure did what?' Gordo thought, walking over to the doorway, but hiding behind the wall. He wanted to know what she was talking about. Lizzie giggled and said something else to Miranda, then he heard her footsteps as she walked toward the kitchen. Gordo turned to hurry back to the stove, but tripped over his own feet and stumbled, almost falling, right into the stove.  
  
"OW!" he yelled, jerking his hand away from the hot cookie tray he'd grabbed when trying to break his fall. He slipped again, and this time grabbed the cord on the mixer. It fell over, knocked the cookie tray off the counter, and everything came tumbling down on top of Gordo. Lizzie looked into the kitchen and saw Gordo on the floor, cookies all around him, with the mixer in his lap and the cookie tray overturned beside him. First instinct told her to laugh, and when she finally caught her breath, she hurried over to him.  
  
"Gordo." She burst out laughing again.  
  
"What's so funny? And what was all that noise?" Miranda was asking on the other end of the line.  
  
"Gordo and baking, failed again. Gordo, what'd you do?!" Lizzie giggled again as she grabbed a hot pad and picked up the hot cookie tray off the floor. Gordo looked up at her pathetically from the floor. She smiled and offered her hand to help him up and he set the mixer on the counter top, then dusted himself off.  
  
"I tripped. burned my hand on the cookie tray. and fell. and everything came down with me."  
  
"Lizzie! What's going on?!" Miranda was practically yelling into the phone.  
  
"Nothing. it was just Gordo, master of cookie baking disaster," Lizzie giggled. 


	13. Kate? Bridesmaids?

DISCLAIMER: You know the routine.  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 13: Kate? Bridesmaids?  
  
Lizzie wandered around Gordo's apartment, bored. He was off at work and had left her to fend for herself after numerous apologies. Half of his stuff was in boxes. She'd helped him pack up a good portion of the place, sad that he was moving back to California in a week, and she'd be returning to Florida, the only one not going home.  
  
"I could always go, too. nothing's stopping me. I'm sure there are jobs in California just like in Florida. Everything else is the same about the two places," Lizzie muttered to herself, turning on the TV, then turning it off again when she realized that the only thing on was news and soap operas. The phone rang, and Lizzie hoped it was someone she knew and not another of Gordo's colleagues wanting him to go to lunch. So far three of them had called in the last hour, and she'd told them all that he wasn't in.  
  
"David Gordon's residence," she answered, not recognizing the name on the caller ID.  
  
"Hey. um. my name is Kate Sanders. Is David there?" Lizzie's eyes widened. Kate Sanders?  
  
"Kate?!"  
  
"Yeah. whose this?"  
  
"It's Lizzie."  
  
"Lizzie?! What are you doing at Gordo's place?"  
  
"I'm visiting him for the week."  
  
"Oh. Um, is he home?"  
  
"Nu-uh. he's at work right now. Want me to have him call you when he gets home?" Lizzie's eyes narrowed. What did Kate want? Hopefully not Gordo. Gordo was hers. Wait, what was she thinking?  
  
"Actually. I was gonna call you next. but I guess I won't be getting any answer at the Lizzie McGuire residence in Orlando, Florida, huh?" Kate laughed. Lizzie pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a moment before resuming the conversation.  
  
"Not for another few days. what's up?"  
  
"Well. Larry and I are getting married, and-"  
  
"Larry? Oh, my God! Larry Tudgeman?!"  
  
"Yeah. we're getting married next month, and I wanted to invite you, Gordo, and Miranda. I think Larry wants Gordo to be the best man. and I wanted to ask you, if you'd be one of my bridesmaids. I was going to call Miranda and ask her, too."  
  
Lizzie felt lightheaded. Kate was marrying Tudgeman? She wanted Lizzie to be a bridesmaid? Tudgeman wanted Gordo to be the best man? WHAT?!  
  
"Kate. you want me. Lizzie McGuire. to be a bridesmaid at your wedding?"  
  
"Yeah. Lizzie, we're adults now. I think we've both outgrown our junior high childishness by now? Come on, you know we were great friends before. You were one of the only people who didn't turn their back on me totally back then, and I've always been grateful."  
  
"I. I'd love to, Kate! When is the wedding, and where?"  
  
"We're getting married on July 23rd, here, at the church on the corner of Dogwood and Bakersfield Drive." [A/N: I don't know street names on the show, so I made those up.]  
  
"Hmm. well, I'll make plans to come out there, then! And I'll talk to Gordo about it when he gets home, okay?"  
  
"Awesome! Thanks, Lizzie. you know. I've missed talking to you like the old days."  
  
"Me, too, Kate. listen, thanks for calling! I'll call Miranda and let her know what's going on, okay? Then I'll have her call you."  
  
"Alright. Thanks again, Lizzie! Bye!" Lizzie hung up the phone and stared at it disbelievingly for a few minutes before she called Miranda.  
  
"Miranda? You won't believe who just called."  
  
A/N: What will Miranda think? Will she feel the same way about Kate's wedding? Read on to find out! 


	14. I Kissed Gordo

DISCLAIMER: The show is Disney's, not mine.  
  
Note: Does anyone else have a problem with ff.net "experiencing overload" all the time? The main time I get on here to update and read is at like 1 or 2 in the morning, when I'm just getting home from work (writing and reading is relaxing for me), and it's frustrating when you go to post a chapter, and ff.net is too busy! So although I do write at least one chapter on basically a daily basis. sometimes you'll see that four or five chapters will be posted at a time because I have to do them all when the site's not being finicky. Also, I'm not big on long, drawn-out fanfics. I like to try and keep most of mine below 35 or so chapters. usually they're about 20 or so. I'm not quite rightly sure how I want to end this one yet, so any ideas are welcome. I don't want to make the entire thing pure fluff, and so far it's been awful cheesy. I'm open to ideas and suggestions, comments, criticism, what have you. Email me at JohnMayerRAWKS@aol.com (that's also my AIM screen name, feel free to drop me an IM if you'd like). Now that I've yammered away half a page, let's get on to the next chapter.  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 14  
  
"Who?!" Miranda's voice was equally as excited as Lizzie's.  
  
"Kate Sanders! She wants us to be bridesmaids in her wedding!"  
  
Miranda was silent for a moment. "Kate's getting married?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"To who?"  
  
"Oh, that's even bigger news! She's marrying Larry Tudgeman!"  
  
"TUDGEMAN?! You're kidding me."  
  
"Nope. One hundred percent serious. She just called, she wants me and you to be bridesmaids, and Tudgeman wants Gordo to be the best man!"  
  
"Holy sh. crap! Wow! That's something I NEVER expected! Kate and Tudgeman! Yikes. can't wait to see how their kids turn out. Pretty little blonde girls running around in Star Wars costumes," Miranda said, stifling a laugh. Lizzie grinned.  
  
"Oh, Lord. Well, they're getting married July 23rd at that church, at Dogwood and Bakersfield. I told her I'd definitely be there. Will you?"  
  
"I don't know. Kate Sanders? Think about how she treated us back then."  
  
"Miranda. we were friends long before that. Do you turn your back on your friends? I think she's totally changed. She told me, 'We're adults now. I think we've outgrown our junior high childishness by now?' and I was just thinking. wow. I mean, you could always tell when Kate was up to something evil. and she sounded so sincere and honest now. Give her a chance?" Lizzie pleaded.  
  
Miranda was silent again for a moment, then huffed an over-exaggerated sigh into the phone. "Alright, Lizzie. But, if this turns out to be some big plan to make us look stupid.. Don't say I didn't warn you. "  
  
"Oh, give it up. You're twenty-two years old, Miranda!" Lizzie laughed. The two continued to talk for a while, discussing mainly what they thought Kate's wedding would be like, but briefly, the conversation danced over to the topic of Gordo.  
  
"So Liz. what's up in you and Gordo's New York world?" Miranda had made a quick subject change when Lizzie had asked her whether she thought Ethan Craft would be at the wedding.  
  
"Me and Gordo's New York world? Um, okay. Gordo's at work right now, we've mostly hung out here, watched a few movies.. We went to dinner a couple times. Miranda, he's so confusing! Like the second day I was here.. I've been here for five days.. The second day I was here, he asked me if I ever thought about me and him together as a couple. I admitted that I do sometimes, and I kissed him, then went-"  
  
"You kissed Gordo?!"  
  
"Yes, Miranda. I kissed Gordo. Then I ran outside, and he came out behind me and told me he felt the same, then he kissed me, and we never said another word about it after that, and I think I love him, and I'm afraid to talk to him about it, and I'm so confused!" The last few fragments of what she said ran together in a blur, as words usually did when Lizzie got excited or upset.  
  
"You kissed Gordo?" was all that Miranda could say. Lizzie threw her hands up and let out a groan of frustration.  
  
"Yes! I kissed Gordo! Got it now? Did you hear ANYTHING I said after that?"  
  
"Sorry. Yeah. That's awesome, Lizzie! It's about damn time!" Miranda exclaimed.  
  
"Awesome? Miranda, I'm so confused! I'm afraid to say anything to him about it, because I don't want to hear that he only kissed me because he was caught up in the moment, and that it held no real meaning to him. I don't want him to think I'm crazy, I don't want him to know how he gets to me, I don't want him to-"  
  
"McGuire! Shut up! Gordo loves you more than life itself, honey.. Get a grip. That boy's been in love with you since we were ten years old." Miranda cut Lizzie off mid-rant, and though Lizzie couldn't see, she rolled her eyes as she twisted the phone cord around her finger. She could just imagine Lizzie in Gordo's sun-lit New York apartment, her feet wearing a ridge in the floor as she paced anxiously while holding the phone with one hand and chewing the nails on the other hand frantically, all while praying silently that Gordo wouldn't walk in and hear their conversation. And somehow, though she'd seen Lizzie's spaz-attacks a million times before, the thought still amused her. 


	15. Chicken

DISCLAIMER: I don't own 'em.  
  
What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 15: Chicken!  
  
Monday evening arrived all too quickly, and Gordo felt entirely disappointed in himself. Lizzie would be flying back to Florida the next day, and he hadn't been able to get up the nerve to talk to her about their relationship. 'Chicken!' he taunted himself as he got out of his car after work. She was probably up in his apartment right that second, packing her things, so she could hop on her plane tomorrow and leave him again. He sighed heavily as he climbed the stairs to his apartment.  
  
"Gordo! How was your day?" Gordo looked up in surprise when he walked into his apartment. Lizzie stood in the doorway of his kitchen, her hands clasped together and an excited look on her face. He cocked an eyebrow at her curiously.  
  
"Um. it was alright, I guess. what are you so excited about? Happy to be leaving me tomorrow?" he asked dejectedly.  
  
Lizzie frowned. "No! I'm never happy about leaving you or Miranda, you know that. Follow me."  
  
Gordo followed her into his dining room and his eyes widened in surprise. Lizzie had the lights dimmed, and there was a candle burning on each side of a vase of short-stemmed roses in the center of the small table, which she had set for two. The smell of spaghetti filled his senses. His favorite. Was he dreaming? He turned to look at her, and she smiled. "Do you like it?" she asked hopefully.  
  
He walked over to her and leaned in to give her a kiss. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, giggling. Gordo smiled. "I love it. But. isn't it supposed to be the other way around? As in, I surprise you with the romantic dinner when you come home from work?"  
  
"So it's backwards. Have you ever known me to walk with the crowd?" Lizzie smiled, then motioned to the table.  
  
"Sit?" He gladly complied. Hell, she could have said, "Walk barefoot over burning coals, snow, and spikes", and he'd have done it without thinking twice.  
  
Lizzie served their dinner, then sat down across from him. They ate in complete silence, enjoying the food and the others' company. When they were done, Lizzie cleared their plates from the table and put them in the dishwasher, then went out to the living room.  
  
"Gordo?" she called. No response, but she heard the water shut off in the bathroom, so she headed back there. She poked her head into the bathroom, but it was dark and empty. That left Gordo's room, so she peeked in there, and saw him digging around in the top drawer of his dresser, his back to her.  
  
"Wanna watch a movie?" she asked. Gordo spun around quickly, obviously startled. He laughed nervously.  
  
"Uh, sure. You pick, okay? I'll be out in a minute." Lizzie thought he was acting a little weird, but shrugged it off and went out to the living room to pick out a movie. After looking through Gordo's collection, she chose 'Dirty Dancing', an old favorite of both of them.  
  
"What are we watching?" Gordo asked as he retreated from his bedroom. Lizzie held up the movie and he grinned. "An oldie!"  
  
"But a goodie!" Lizzie responded, popping it into the DVD player and turning on the TV. Gordo sat down on the couch. Lizzie grabbed the DVD remote off the top of the TV, then shut off the light and settled down on the floor in front of Gordo. The movie started to play and she felt his fingers toying with her hair. She turned to look at him, and he just smiled at her.  
  
What was happening? She couldn't concentrate on the movie, and before she knew it, he was beside her, his hand lightly touching her face. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned to look at him and he leaned in to kiss her, so soft that she barely felt his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and returned his kiss. When she opened them, she stared into his, searching for the answers to the million questions running through her head.  
  
"Gordo. what's happening to us? I-... I'm so confused," she whispered.  
  
He paused for a second, unsure of whether he should tell her. 'It's now or never,' he thought, then took a deep breath before he spoke.  
  
"I don't know any other ways to make you understand, Liz, other than to say it. I love you." 


	16. You're Moving Back?

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 16  
  
"Miranda Sanchez. where are you? Pick up the friggin' phone!" Lizzie screeched into Miranda's answering machine the next afternoon, not ten minutes after she'd gotten home to her apartment, from her trip to see Gordo.  
  
"Lizzie? You still there?" Lizzie heard Miranda's voice on the phone then, sounding slightly out of breath.  
  
"Yeah, I'm here."  
  
"Well? What's up? I see from the caller ID, that you're home from Gordo's."  
  
"Oh, my God, Miranda! I can't believe this. I don't know what to do, Miranda!"  
  
"Lizzie. calm down. what are you talking about? What don't you know what to do about?"  
  
Lizzie tossed a shirt into a pile of clothes and switched the phone from one shoulder to the other as she sorted out her dirty laundry to wash it. "Yesterday. I don't know what came over me. but I fixed up this whole romantic setting at Gordo's place, and made his favorite spaghetti for dinner, like a total romantic dinner thing. and then we were watching 'Dirty Dancing', and Gordo kissed me."  
  
"Aww! You guys need to stop beating around it, and just tell each other how you feel-"  
  
"He told me he loved me," Lizzie cut her off.  
  
Miranda's silence was not unexpected, and Lizzie pictured her sitting at home with her jaw hanging down to the floor.  
  
"Liz! That's so awesome! What did you say?"  
  
"I didn't say anything. Miranda, I'm so stupid! And he's moving back to California. I feel like such an ass! I'm living in Florida, and you're in California, and Gordo's moving back to California. I want to come home, Miranda! I want to come home, and be a kid again, go back to 8th grade, when my biggest worry was whether my hair looked good enough for Ethan Craft to see!" Miranda let out a sigh, Lizzie was going off on one of her tirades again. Like Gordo, Miranda knew that sometimes you had to just stop listening to Lizzie.  
  
"Miranda? Miranda! MIRANDA ISABELLA SANCHEZ!" Miranda's mind jumped back into the conversation. "What?"  
  
"Where do you think is best?"  
  
"Best for what?" Miranda was confused. She had obviously missed something.  
  
"To live!"  
  
"Here," Miranda said pointedly, hoping Lizzie would get the point.  
  
"I know THAT! But where there? Like, should I get an apartment? Should I ask my parents if I can move back in with them? Should I talk to Gordo and find out where he's staying, and then get a place by there?" Lizzie's questions were coming at her like a raging fire.  
  
"Slow down, McGuire. You're moving back?"  
  
"I said that. about ten minutes ago. Ugh, Miranda. You tuned me out again, didn't you?" Lizzie sighed. She really needed to learn to control her over- emotional outbursts.  
  
"You know me too well. Every time you go on overload, both Gordo and I will totally stop listening sometimes."  
  
"You know me just as well. Anyway. what should I do?"  
  
"Well." Miranda started talking, and Lizzie sat down on the couch to listen, hoping that she'd have an idea.  
  
A/N: Sorry this chapter was pretty much nothing but talking, but that was the best way I felt I could convey what was going on. Please review! 


	17. I'm Just A Little Unwell

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 17: I'm Just A Little Unwell  
  
~*All day, starin' at the ceiling  
  
Making friends with the shadows on my wall  
  
All night, hearin' voices tellin' me  
  
That I should get some sleep  
  
Because tomorrow might be good for something  
  
Oh no, feelin' like I'm headed for a breakdown  
  
And I don't know why  
  
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell  
  
I know right now you can't tell  
  
But stay a while and maybe then you'll see  
  
A different side of me  
  
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired  
  
I know right now you don't care  
  
But soon enough you're gonna think of me  
  
And how I used to be*~  
  
Gordo stared at his ceiling, stretched across his couch, thinking about all sorts of things. The sun was setting outside his window, and soon shadows would be cast over his walls, dancing everywhere, like he wished he could with Lizzie. He'd seen her off at the airport the day before, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and then turning to hurry away, so that she wouldn't see how upset he was.  
  
It would have done her no good to know she was killing him with every smile she gave him, every word she spoke, every breath she took. If she'd known, he knew she wouldn't have gone, but he couldn't keep her from her life back in Florida. He didn't have the capabilities in him to be that selfish. He never stopped to think that sometimes you had to be a little selfish, in order to be happy.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, back in Florida, Lizzie was thinking about Gordo, too. 'What would I have done, if he'd asked me to stay? Would he have asked me? Should I call him and tell him I'm going to move back to California, too?' She picked up the phone and started to dial the number, but hung up after the area code. She couldn't call and tell him. He'd probably think she was out of her mind. He'd try to convince her to stay in Florida, that she needed to keep the job she'd been offered, that she couldn't do something because of him.  
  
But she wasn't making the plans just because of him. Miranda was there, too, and her family. she'd always planned to move back to California after college, and life was always so much easier when it was planned. Yes, she decided, this was what she should do. Lizzie logged onto AOL to search for jobs in California, and as soon as she was connected, an IM came up on the screen.  
  
MirandaDaPanda: Hola, chica. What's up?  
  
LizzieMac06: I'm looking for a job.  
  
MirandaDaPanda: Here?  
  
LizzieMac06: Yep!  
  
MirandaDaPanda: Awesome! Are you talking to Gordo?  
  
Lizzie looked at her buddy list. Gordo was online. Why hadn't he IMed her yet? 'He's probably mad at me for something, I probably did something wrong and don't know it,' she thought. She clicked on his name and typed a message.  
  
LizzieMac06: Hey, Gordo.  
  
DG Man2000: Hey, babe. What are you doing?  
  
LizzieMac06: Are you mad at me?  
  
DG Man2000: No, why would you think that?  
  
LizzieMac06: 'Cuz you didn't IM me.  
  
DG Man2000: LOL I was in the middle of checking my bank account when you signed on, I was going to send you a message when I was done. I had to make sure I have enough in the bank to pay the fee for breaking the lease on my apartment so I can move back home.  
  
LizzieMac06: Oh. I feel so bad, Gordo. You and Miranda are going to be back home, and I'm going to be here in Florida, while you guys are having a blast together again, as the two amigos instead of the three amigos. Or you'll find some new friends, or start hanging with the old friends, and forget about me!  
  
DG Man2000: Do you really think we could forget you, Liz? Miranda certainly won't, and there's no way possible for me to forget the girl I love.  
  
Lizzie blushed when she read Gordo's message. She knew he'd be surprised and happy when she showed up on his doorstep. She'd have to get Miranda to keep her mouth shut. Just then she heard a ping, and saw that the window from Miranda's IM was blinking, so she clicked on it.  
  
MirandaDaPanda: Lizzie? You alive?  
  
MirandaDaPanda: Lizzie! Elizabeth Brooke McGuire! Where the hell are you? Aye carumba!  
  
Lizzie laughed when she read that.  
  
LizzieMac06: I'm here, Randa. Sorry. I was talking to Gordo. Listen, don't tell him I'm moving back, okay? I want it to be a surprise when I show up at his place.  
  
MirandaDaPanda: Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. Do I ever tell anyone the things you tell me?  
  
LizzieMac06: Do you really want me to answer that? :-P  
  
MirandaDaPanda: Hush. I'm gonna head out for now, I've got to go to work. I'll see you later!  
  
Miranda signed off before Lizzie could even type out a 'See ya later!', so she told Gordo she'd be back in a little while, and put up her away message so she could search for a job. 


	18. Packing

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 18: Packing  
  
Lizzie hit locks on her car and headed into the grocery store. She needed to pick up some newspapers to wrap up some stuff to haul it back to Hillridge. She'd called her parents that morning to tell them that she was coming home for good, and they had been more than excited. Lizzie giggled as she thought back to her mother's reaction.  
  
"Oh, Lizzie! That's wonderful! Are you going to live here at home?"  
  
"Actually, no, I'm going to be staying with Miranda until I can find a good apartment," she'd told her mother.  
  
"Oh. well it's going to be so great having you home to stay!"  
  
Lizzie grabbed a couple newspapers from a stand near the door, and took them up to the express lane to pay for them, then headed back out to her car. She couldn't wait to get on the road back home. The moving van would be there in two hours to pick up her stuff, so she had to hurry and pack up the last of it, the breakables that she'd needed the newspapers for.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Hey, Randa. Just wanted to call and let you know that I'm leaving now, in ten minutes or less, I'll be out the door and on the road to Hillridge, California, so I'll see you in about four days! Bye!" Gordo hung up the phone, then picked it up again and dialed Lizzie's number.  
  
"We're sorry, the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected." The operator's monotonous tone blared in his ear. "Disconnected?" Gordo wondered out loud. That was weird. Lizzie had told him before that her phone bill was her highest priority, and she always paid it before anything else. He shrugged it off, thinking he'd dialed the wrong number, and called again. He got the same thing. 'Weird,' he thought. He gave it no more thought, and headed out the door, locking it for the last time and heading down to the apartment offices to turn in his key.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Lizzie sang along with the radio as she flew down the interstate, feeling lighthearted and happy to finally be going home permanently. "Someone turned the lights out there in Memphis. Ooh, that's where my family's buried and gone. Last time I was there I noticed a space left, next to them there in Memphis. In the damn back lawn!" She sang along with the song at the top of her lungs, the radio up as loud as it would go. A man in a truck blew past her, looking at her oddly as he sped by. She laughed and went back to singing the song.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Gordo merged onto the interstate and slipped into the afternoon traffic. As soon as he could get through that, he'd be on his way to California. He planned on staying with his parents until he could find a decent apartment, which he hoped wouldn't be too long. He didn't want to impose on them, since he'd depended on them for 18 years before going off to college. He was sure they were enjoying a life without their slightly different child blaring his "obnoxious" music and watching his "useless" television shows. He knew they loved him, but parents never understood their children until they were grown.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Miranda played the messages on her answering machine back when she got home from work. There was one from Gordo, announcing that he was on his way back to Hillridge, one from Lizzie saying the same thing, and one from her mother just calling to say hello and see how she was doing. Miranda wasn't the best at calling and visiting her parents all the time, but she made a point of going back to her old house to visit them at least once or twice a month. As the tape in the answering machine rewound, she threw her purse on the counter and headed into her room to change into her bathing suit. Today was a good day for catching some sun, so she called one of the girls from her work and convinced her to head out to the beach with her. 


	19. We're Not Even Dating!

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 19: We're Not Even Dating!  
  
Gordo pulled up into Miranda's driveway four days later. 'Whose car is that? Miranda never mentioned getting a new car,' he thought, eyeing the black Sentra in her driveway. He got out of his Explorer and walked up to her door.  
  
"Hey, Gordo! Good to see you finally made it here!" Miranda exclaimed, hugging him and then welcoming him into her house.  
  
"I'm glad to be back here. Hey, when did you get that car out there?"  
  
"Oh, that's not mine."  
  
"Oh! Who's here?" Gordo was curious.  
  
"Don't be pickin' on my little Sentra, it's a great little car and it's been very good to me." Gordo knew that voice. His eyes widened when Lizzie ambled into the living room.  
  
"Hey, Gordo!" she exclaimed. She ran over and hugged him tightly, then gave him a quick little kiss.  
  
"Liz! When did you get here? Did you just pack up and come straight here when you got home from visiting me?" Gordo teased.  
  
"That I did. packed EVERYTHING up and had it hauled here. it's all out in Miranda's garage, waiting for me to find the perfect place," Lizzie said.  
  
"Wait. so you're living here now? What happened to Florida? I thought you had a good job there and you weren't coming back here." Gordo looked utterly confused.  
  
Lizzie knew she'd thrown him a curveball, Gordo never made that face unless she and Miranda were talking girl talk too strange for him to comprehend.  
  
"Yes, Gordo, I'm living here now. Right here. With Miranda, until I can find a decent place. I found a job online. You know, the internet? I'm sure you're all too familiar with it."  
  
Gordo shook his head as if he were trying to clear it out. Lizzie and Miranda just laughed.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Oh God, Miranda! I wish I'd had a camera. Gordo looked so adorable, sitting there on the floor with cookies all over the place. Never leave him alone with anything!" Lizzie giggled. Gordo gave her a look, and she leaned over to kiss his cheek.  
  
"Come on, hun, you know it was funny," she teased.  
  
Miranda had demanded to hear all the funny stories from Lizzie and Gordo's week together, so they had all settled down in her living room to watch TV and talk about the trip.  
  
"You two are so cute. When's the wedding?" Miranda asked, looking at Lizzie, who looked quite comfortable relaxing in Gordo's arms.  
  
"Miranda Isabella Sanchez! We're not getting married. We're not even dating!" Lizzie exclaimed. She didn't see the hurt look on Gordo's face when she said that.  
  
"You're not? You guys look awfully cozy there. You sure there's nothing going on with you two?"  
  
Lizzie wanted to kick Miranda right then, but knew better. She knew that Miranda would be expecting a royal beating later.  
  
"If there was, why would we tell you about it?" Gordo teased. Lizzie felt her face get hot. What was going on between her and Gordo, anyway? He'd kissed her, he'd told her he loved her, he was holding her in his arms right then, and every aspect of a romantic relationship with him seemed so perfect to her. But they hadn't talked about it at all. Did he just think that things had fallen into place, and that she was his, and he was hers? Were they together, in his mind? 'Gordo, why can't you TALK TO ME about these things?' Lizzie thought frustratedly. 


	20. Dinner With The McGuires

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 20: Dinner With The McGuires  
  
Lizzie's parents had asked her to come have dinner at home that night, and had invited Gordo and Miranda to come with her, so later that evening, they all trooped over to the McGuire household. Since it was not even half a mile from Miranda's place, they walked. Lizzie and Gordo walked a step or two behind Miranda, holding hands loosely and talking about what all of their plans for the near future were.  
  
"I have the perfect idea! You two could share a place! I mean, you're both on the hunt for apartments, and if you split the rent and all the basic bills, it would be cheaper for both of you in the end. Besides, you guys just spent a week living together in New York. I'm sure life here in Hillridge is much less demanding." Miranda let out what could only be described as an excited squeal.  
  
"I'm sure Gordo got enough of having me around constantly last week," Lizzie responded.  
  
'Never!' Gordo thought. "Liz, you know I never get tired of having you around," he said.  
  
"You know. if I didn't know better, I'd swear you two are hiding a romance from me," Miranda remarked.  
  
"Miranda, have I EVER hidden romances from you? Do you not recall your telephone ringing at all hours of the night, and me telling you about every date I've ever gone on?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"Yeah, but this is different. You wouldn't tell me if you guys were dating, because I know you'd freak out and think I'd be angry or hurt." Miranda had Lizzie pinned.  
  
"You're probably right. But I'm serious! We're not dating!" Lizzie said.  
  
Gordo fell a few steps behind, wanting to think about all this. How could Lizzie say they weren't together? Was she really just trying to hide it from Miranda? Was she ashamed of him? Was she just being good old clueless Lizzie McGuire, with no idea that he was in love with her? He didn't know of any way to tell her, at least, one that he hadn't already tried. He'd blatantly told her he loved her, how could she not know? He could have sworn he said it in plain English. It wasn't like he spoke any other languages.  
  
"Alright, guys, are you prepared for a wonderful dinner with the McGuire family? Be prepared to be interrogated about college. Gordo, be prepared for questions about New York life. Miranda, I'll be willing to bet my mom will bug you and ask you about what a terrible houseguest I am." Miranda and Gordo laughed.  
  
"Lizzie, you know we're used to your family. I put up my Jo McGuire Shield at the corner of the street," Miranda said. Lizzie giggled.  
  
They made their way into the McGuire house and Lizzie called out that they were there.  
  
"Hey, guys! Dinner's not ready yet, it'll be another fifteen or twenty minutes. Matt's watching Fear Factor, if you want to join him," Jo said, nodding towards the living room where they could hear Matt exclaiming about how gross something was.  
  
"Hey, Worm," Lizzie said, wandering into the living room.  
  
"Liz!" Matt jumped up and hugged his sister tightly. Lizzie had stopped by earlier that day to say hello to her parents, but Matt hadn't been home, so this was the first time he was seeing Lizzie since she'd been home.  
  
"Gordo, my man!" Matt and Gordo did some odd handshake that Lizzie and Miranda figured was probably just a guy thing, and then Matt gave Miranda a hug, too.  
  
"You actually watch this crap?" Lizzie asked, picking up the remote and flipping to the TV Guide channel.  
  
"It's the only thing on," Matt explained.  
  
"There's not even a movie or something on?" Lizzie asked. She turned the channel to HBO and saw that 'Training Day' was on. "Nevermind, I see what you mean." She turned it back to Fear Factor and plopped down on the couch.  
  
Gordo sat and listened as Matt asked Lizzie all about college and living on her own, and started to doze off. He'd spent half the day driving and was tired, not to mention cramped from being in the car for the past four days.  
  
"Gordo? Gordo, wake up. Dinner's ready." Gordo opened his eyes a few minutes later and saw Lizzie looking at him, concerned.  
  
"You okay?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Tired from the trip here." He got up and followed her into the kitchen, where Jo had dinner ready.  
  
A/N: I know this is getting kind of boring, but I'm going to start wrapping everything up soon. It's a little more predictable than I had intended it to be, but hopefully the next story won't be. I should have this one finished and another one started in the next few days or so. 


	21. Ladies Drink Free!

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 21: Ladies Drink Free!  
  
When dinner was over that evening, and the talk had died down, Gordo announced that he was going to head back to his parents' place and get some sleep, citing he was "tired" as his reason. Miranda promptly pulled Lizzie off to the side and out of her parents' earshot.  
  
"What is going on with you guys? I swear to God, Liz, if you don't tell me what is going on between you and Gordo, I'm kicking you out of my house!" she hissed.  
  
Lizzie gave her a look. "I don't KNOW what's going on with me and Gordo. He holds my hand, he kisses me, he told me he loves me, and Miranda, I'm confused. He never actually asked me out or anything. I don't know if in his mind, we're together, or what."  
  
"Ok, Liz, those are things that couples do. We're not 14 anymore. Gordo is in love with you, and I can tell you feel the same way about him. So why not just TALK ABOUT IT?" Miranda said exasperatedly.  
  
"Because I don't know how to bring it up to him. And I seriously doubt he's going to bring up the topic with me!"  
  
"Girls, is something wrong?" Jo McGuire poked her head around the corner and looked at them. Lizzie and Miranda looked up quickly, and shook their heads.  
  
"No, Mrs. McGuire. We're just talking about where we want to go tomorrow," Miranda replied quickly. All grown up, living on their own, and they still told stories to keep their parents off their backs.  
  
Jo looked at them a little oddly, but decided that her daughter and her friend were adults now, and didn't require the Mother-Daughter game of 20 Questions to figure out the problem and conjure up a solution. She smiled at the girls, then went about her business once more. Lizzie looked back at Miranda. "You know she wanted to jump in and play Super Mom." They shared a laugh at that.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Lizzie and Miranda headed back to Miranda's house a little while later, discussing what their options were for the rest of the evening. It was only a little after 8, and they still had hours before they would be even remotely tired. Lizzie suggested they go to a club, so they changed their clothes and called a cab to take them to a local place called Club Ice. "No sense in taking the car if you can't drive it home!" Miranda said.  
  
As soon as they stepped into the club, music surrounded them, lights were flashing, and people were everywhere. Miranda spotted an empty table near the dance floor, and they hurried over to claim it.  
  
"Okay, I'll get drinks and you hold the table, alrighty?" Lizzie asked, pulling some money out of her bra. She hadn't wanted to bring a purse, because she knew she'd be dancing and didn't want to leave it unattended for anyone to steal. Miranda laughed.  
  
"You should have worn a skirt with pockets!" she said, reaching into her's and handing Lizzie three dollars. "Get me a rum and Coke!"  
  
Lizzie headed up to the bar and smiled at the incredibly good-looking bartender. "Hey, babe, what'll it be?" he asked.  
  
"Um. a rum and Coke, and a Smirnoff Ice," Lizzie replied.  
  
"So, you live around here?" the bartender asked, grabbing a bottle of rum from under the counter.  
  
"I did until I went to college. I just moved back, though."  
  
"Where'd ya go to college at?"  
  
"University of Florida," Lizzie replied, taking the glass he handed her. He turned his back for a second and reached into a cooler, then pulled out a Smirnoff.  
  
"Here ya go! A Smirnoff and a rum and Coke. Is that it?"  
  
"Yep! How much is it?"  
  
"On the house. Ladies drink free tonight until 11," the guy replied. Lizzie grinned.  
  
"Thanks!" She carried the drinks to the table where Miranda was sitting, waiting.  
  
"How much were the drinks? Did I give you enough?" she asked.  
  
"Yep, here's your money back. Ladies drink free tonight!" Lizzie said.  
  
"To being a chick!" Miranda said, and clinked her glass against Lizzie's bottle. Lizzie smiled, this was going to be a fun night. 


	22. I Want To Talk To You

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 22: I Want To Talk To You  
  
Lizzie and Miranda made their way out of the club around one thirty in the morning, and called a cab from Miranda's cell phone. "Where to?" the driver asked when he picked them up.  
  
"431 Maple St-" Miranda started.  
  
"183 Townsend!" Lizzie blurted. Miranda looked at her strangely.  
  
"That's Gordo's address," she said.  
  
"I know! I'm going to talk to him! I want him to know how I feel!" Lizzie said, her words slurring a little. They'd both had several drinks at the club.  
  
"Liz, are you sure that's such a good idea?" Miranda asked.  
  
"I'm positive! It's high time he and I had a good talk!" Miranda wasn't exactly sober, but she knew Lizzie was way gone.  
  
"It's one thirty in the morning, Lizzie. Gordo is probably sleeping, like most normal people are," she reasoned.  
  
"Oh, I'll wake his butt up!" Lizzie was adamant, and there was no changing her mind. Miranda sighed and sat back in the seat. She knew Gordo wouldn't get mad at Lizzie, but he wasn't going to appreciate a drunken girl waking him up in the middle of the night. 'Oh, well. Ya gotta learn sometime,' she thought.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Gordo! Wake UP! Gooooorrrddddooooooo! Gor- hey, sleepyhead!" Lizzie stopped bouncing on Gordo's bed when he rolled over and glared sleepily at her.  
  
"Lizzie, it's-" he sat up and glanced at his bedside clock, "Almost two in the morning. WHAT, are you doing awake? And more importantly, what are you doing bouncing around on MY bed, when you should be sleeping soundly at Miranda's house?"  
  
"I want to talk to you, Gordo!" Gordo rolled his eyes when she said that. Lizzie had always had that uncanny ability to "want to talk" at the worst possible times. It was like a sixth sense or something, he could have sworn.  
  
"I tried to tell her to come home and go to bed, but she wouldn't listen," Miranda spoke up, and Gordo rubbed his eyes. They were BOTH there? He sighed and fell back against his pillows again. What in the world could be so important that Lizzie had to break into his house and drag him from the wonderful world of slumber?  
  
"Miranda, could you give us some alone time?" Lizzie asked, giving her best friend a pleading look. Miranda rolled her eyes and leaned over. "She's drunk," she whispered to Gordo, and a look of understanding came over his face as she turned and headed over to the window they'd used to enter his room. At least Lizzie had enough sense to climb into his room through the window, instead of ringing the doorbell and waking up the whole house at the most ungodly hour.  
  
"Liz, what's wrong?" Gordo asked, sitting up again. Miranda had exited through the window, much to Gordo's dismay. The last thing in the world he wanted to hear was his father complaining the next morning that his prize azaleas had been trampled in the middle of the night, and he hoped that the girls had had enough sense to step around the flowers.  
  
"Gordo, what's going on with us?" Lizzie's question caught him off guard. He knew he shouldn't be surprised though, because Lizzie had always been blissfully unaware of anything other than clothes and accessories. She stretched out on his bed, resting her head on her hands and looking up at him.  
  
"What do you mean?" He played dumb, though, hoping to hear the words from her mouth. She was drunk, yes, but he knew she wouldn't tell him any stories, he knew she wouldn't try to lead him on. She was too good of a person, too innocent to do wrong.  
  
"Things are different between us, Gordo! You said you love me. You kissed me. I kissed you. What does all that mean? Am I your girlfriend, or just some little fling you have because you're a guy and can't handle a commitment?" Lizzie's words came out rushed together and slurred, but she knew what she was saying. She hadn't drunk enough to be incoherent.  
  
"Fling? Lizzie is that all you think you are to me? Jesus. forgive me if I sound rude, but you haven't changed much. You're still so. . . oblivious. Innocent. Naïve."  
  
"Are you saying I'm stupid?" Lizzie's eyes narrowed. She crossed them then, and dissolved into giggles. Gordo sighed.  
  
"No, Liz, I'm not saying you're stupid. I'm saying, that I've spent the last ten years trying to make you see how much I love you, how much you mean to me, and not one time, have you picked up on it. I told you straight up that I love you, and even then, you didn't seem to understand. Is it that difficult? I'm in love with you, Elizabeth McGuire. I WISH you were my girlfriend."  
  
"Then why did you never ask me?!" Lizzie's exasperated response made him laugh.  
  
"Honestly?" he asked. Lizzie nodded.  
  
"I was afraid," he replied simply. Lizzie's eyes widened.  
  
"Afraid? What, that I'd say no?" she asked. Gordo gave her a look.  
  
"Looks like we have a winner! Ding ding! A hundred points for Lizzie McGuire!" he said dryly.  
  
Lizzie sat up and hit him playfully in the arm. "Well?"  
  
"Well what?"  
  
"Are you going to ask me? Or do I have to spend another ten years hoping you will? I promise I'll understand this time." She smiled at him then, and whatever was left of the walls he'd spent his entire life building around his heart dissolved like sugar that was doused with water.  
  
"Would you, Miss Sweet and Innocent McGuire, finally make me stop chasing you, and let me catch you?" he asked.  
  
Lizzie giggled. "Only you would put it that way, Gordo. And yes, I'd be honored to be your girl."  
  
Miranda smiled as she watched Gordo lean in and kiss Lizzie. She let out a little cheer, and they looked over, only to see her peering through the window, watching them. Oh well, she reasoned, they couldn't be mad at her. She and Lizzie had both been pretty nosy all their lives.  
  
A/N: When I finished this chapter, I thought I'd conveyed every little fluffy thing I planned for this story, but then I realized that I forgot all about Kate's wedding! Therefore, this story shall have ONE LAST CHAPTER. (Everyone cheer, I'll finally stop boring you! Hehe. . . Review please!) 


	23. Epilogue

What You Didn't Expect  
  
Chapter 23: Epilogue  
  
*JULY 23rd* (The day of Kate's wedding.)  
  
"Miranda, can you believe this? Kate's getting married. Kate! Could you ever imagine Kate Sanders as someone's wife?" Lizzie tried to zip up the back of her bridesmaid dress, but it was just impossible. She turned her back to Miranda. "Can you zip this for me?"  
  
"I know what you mean. Much less Larry Tudgeman! And we always thought Kate was so evil. But, more power to her! She transformed, completely." Miranda pulled the zipper up on Lizzie's dress, then turned around. "Can you do mine now?" They both laughed.  
  
It had taken the girls hours to get ready, and once they were satisfied that every aspect of their appearance was perfect, they set out to talk to Kate. "I want to ask her how it feels. How she knew that he was the one she wants to spend her entire life with," Lizzie remarked as she reached for the doorknob and opened the door.  
  
"Lizzie! Miranda! Oh, thank God you're here! As much as I hate to risk sounding like the old Kate. . . I can't wear these shoes! Lizzie looked at Miranda, and they dissolved into giggles.  
  
"What's wrong with the shoes, Kate? They're gorgeous!" Lizzie exclaimed.  
  
"They're a size five!"  
  
"Oh, Lordy." Lizzie knew Kate hadn't worn a size five shoe since they were in third or fourth grade.  
  
"The smallest shoe I can wear is a nine! And that's with a lot of pain and prayer!" Kate sounded horribly distressed.  
  
"Relax, Kate. You don't have to wear any shoes. Look. . . your dress goes to the floor, and the train's going to drag like ten feet behind you. Look at your feet," Lizzie reasoned.  
  
Kate looked down. "I don't even see them."  
  
"Exactly. And neither will anyone else. You could wear a pair of sneakers or something if you don't want to go barefoot."  
  
"Thank you, McGuire. You're a lifesaver, you know that?" Kate cocked her head to one side. "Oh, my God! I hear the music. . . they're going to start without me!"  
  
Lizzie and Miranda laughed. "They're not going to start without you, Kate. You're the bride. They can't," Miranda said. Kate sighed and grabbed her bouquet. Lizzie and Miranda left to take their places and give Kate a few moments with her father before he gave her away.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Lizzie glanced past Kate as the minister began reading the vows, and smiled at Gordo, who was over by Larry. He smiled back at her, and she returned her attention to the ceremony. She wondered what her own wedding would be like, and before she knew what was going on, the organ blared up again, and Kate and Larry were hurrying out of the church. She'd missed their kiss?  
  
"I missed the kiss!" Lizzie hissed to Miranda, who was right beside her.  
  
"Kate did the whole romantic thing, one foot up, and you could see she wasn't wearing any shoes. She smiled right at you afterward, but you looked like you were off in space!" Lizzie frowned, and followed the procession out of the church.  
  
At the reception, she had just finished a glass of wine when there was a commotion behind her. All the girls were gathering. Kate was about to throw the bouquet.  
  
"Let's go, Miranda!" Lizzie grabbed Miranda's arm, and they hurried over to the group. They crowded in just in time to see Kate's bouquet fly through the air and Miranda tripped over someone's feet and fell one way, a couple other girls stumbled and in a matte of about two seconds, every girl was on the floor, except for one. Lizzie grinned proudly and looked over at Gordo. She thrust the bouquet up into the air triumphantly, then ran over to Gordo.  
  
"Okay, Lizzie, if that's not a message from God, I don't know what is," Miranda said, limping over to the two of them. Lizzie smiled and kissed Gordo's cheek.  
  
"This is definitely something I never expected." And with those words, Gordo put his arm around Lizzie and hugged her tightly.  
  
A/N: What do you think? Was it good? Did it stink? Please review! If you guys actually liked this, and would like to see a sequel, let me know! I like the way it turned out, even if it is a bit fluffy. 


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